Swiss man charged in Kenya over Shabaab links

Magd Najjar, who was initially reported to be Swedish when he was arrested last month, was charged in a court in the Kenyan capital Nairobi of “engaging in organised criminal activities by being a member of Al Shabaab.”

Najjar was also charged with being in Kenya illegally. Najjar, who is believed to be in his late 20s, did not speak when he appeared in a crowded court room for the brief hearing. He did not issue a plea. Bail was refused and the trial will begin on July 2, said Najjar’s lawyer Edna Khaemba.

Since Kenya sent forces into southern Somalia in October to fight the Shabaab it has been hit by retaliatory attacks.

The warnings of possible attacks on Kenyan targets have increased in recent weeks, according to Western security analysts and monitoring groups. Kenya’s security agencies were put on alert following reports a drone strike in Pakistan had killed al-Qaeda’s number two Abu Yahya al-Libi.

This is because al-Qaeda had announced it had merged with Somalia’s militant group Al-Shabaab in their terror related activities.

Al-Shabaab has been blamed for several grenade and bomb attacks in Kenya the latest being on May 28 along Moi Avenue which killed one person and injured more than 30 people. Highly placed security officials said they feared the criminal gang would react to the killing of the commander in Kenya following their links.

Security has been beefed up in major installations and buildings. Managers of skyscrapers were on Tuesday ordered to scale up their security measures to address threats that the terror group may strike anytime.

A US based intelligence firm said at the weekend it had information Al-Shabaab plans to strike in Kenya. And following the killing of the commander, police and intelligence officials said the gang could react with more attacks.